WTF is non-endemic commerce media? | How retailers, merchants and publishers are monetizing digital moments beyond the cart

At the same time, e-commerce brands across retail, travel, ticketing and financial technology have what most advertisers want: an untapped goldmine of high-intent traffic and first-party data, waiting to be monetized.

Enter non-endemic commerce media: a way for brands to advertise on sites or apps that don’t sell their products, unlocking a new revenue stream for merchants while giving advertisers access to fresh audiences and smarter targeting.

In this WTF explainer, Digiday and Fluent break down the what, why and how of non-endemic commerce media — and why it’s fast becoming a go-to performance channel for advertisers and a growth lever for merchants.

Endemic ads show up where you expect them (e.g. a retailer promoting products it already sells). Non-endemic commerce media, on the other hand, places ads for complementary products or services in environments where they aren’t sold — but still make contextual sense to the shopper.

Consider these examples:

• A traveler confirms a hotel reservation and sees an offer for lounge access or a travel rewards card.
• A music lover purchases a ticket to a concert outside their home state and gets served ads for discounted rental cars or hotel stays.
• A fitness enthusiast buys new workout gear and receives an offer for a 30-day free trial of a healthy meal kit subscription.

The takeaway: The value of commerce data extends well beyond traditional retail, unlocking new monetization opportunities across industries.

Non-endemic commerce media works best when it feels native to the customer experience — especially in places where customers aren’t accustomed to seeing ads, like in a banking app. And with today’s evolving customer journey, those unexpected but relevant moments are more valuable than ever.

“In a world where every touchpoint matters and every moment is a chance to shape preference, non-endemic media offers a great opportunity to reach audiences outside their normal echo chambers in ways that are contextually relevant,” CMO and Fluent advisory board member Jennifer Olsen said.

In other words, context is everything in non-endemic commerce media. The most effective placements are those that align with the shopper’s mindset — complementing their purchase and adding value in a way that feels additive rather than disruptive.

Non-endemic commerce media ads can appear on retailers’ and merchants’ sites, in their apps, across off-site channels (like CTV), in stores — in any part of the customer journey where shoppers are engaged.

Take Walmart, for example. Since early 2024, Walmart has offered non-endemic ad placements — both in-store and off-site — for brands in categories like automotive, entertainment, financial services, quick-service restaurants and travel.

One of the most common and effective placements? The order confirmation — or “thank you” — page. It captures strong engagement while the customer is still in a buying mindset.

“This is a high-intent user, someone that has typically already made a purchase. They have a credit card in hand,” said Brian Hogan, Fluent’s evp of commerce media. “So it’s a perfect environment to serve relevant brand offers.”

Other examples of non-endemic commerce media placements include:

• Shipment tracking and order status pages
• Email receipts or return portals
• Subscription confirmations or survey completions
• Loyalty dashboards

These are spaces where customers are often open to personalized offers, and they all share one goal: reaching customers when attention is high and friction is low. Most importantly, these ads don’t interfere with a sale.

Non-endemic commerce media ads aren’t traditional banner ads — they’re designed to feel like an extension of the customer experience.

“That’s what builds trust with the customer,” Hogan said.

Advertisers should take cues from the environments where their ads will run, including font types and color schemes. If an ad feels too disconnected or blatantly promotional, shoppers will tune it out.

“We want to make it feel purposeful and not promotional,” Hogan said. “That’s a key part in the creative — when the message is relevant and well-placed, shoppers are more likely to engage.”

Non-endemic commerce media ads typically include:

• A recognizable brand logo or product image
• A clear, benefit-led headline
• A native design that feels additive — not intrusive

Retailers, merchants and publishers can experiment with different formats to surprise and delight consumers, reinforcing value while driving action.

At its core, non-endemic commerce media is a performance-driven growth channel — giving brands access to incremental audiences and measurable results.

Non-endemic commerce media delivers:

• High-intent audiences: Non-endemic commerce media gives advertisers access to consumers in a buying mood — often during checkout or immediately after a purchase. “Advertisers love that they’re reaching real buyers, not just browsers, and often in a very high-intent moment,” Hogan said. “That’s why you’re seeing so much budget shifting from traditional channels into the commerce media space.”

• Incremental scale: Instead of competing for limited endemic placements or relying on oversaturated platforms, brands can tap into retailer, merchant and publisher inventory to scale their reach and connect with fresh audiences.

• Smarter targeting: Non-endemic commerce media allows advertisers to use first-party merchant data — like product category or purchase history — to deliver personalized, relevant messaging in a privacy-safe way.

• Proven performance: As acquisition costs rise and returns from legacy platforms plateau, marketers are shifting focus toward metrics like customer lifetime value, Olsen noted. “Order confirmation pages offer an incredible place to find qualified and potentially high-value customers,” Olsen said. Beyond conversions, it’s a chance to build deeper customer relationships and long-term loyalty.

For merchants across verticals, non-endemic commerce media is a seamless monetization channel, offering a simple path to better performance and more profit.

Non-endemic commerce media delivers:

• Incremental revenue: Non-endemic ads monetize high-traffic moments that are typically overlooked. Because these placements don’t compete with existing brand partnerships or vendor promotions, the revenue is incremental, creating new value without disrupting existing monetization strategies.

• Enhanced customer experience: These ads aren’t distractions — they’re relevant, personalized offers that keep shoppers engaged. In a study conducted by Fluent, 63% of shoppers who saw post-purchase ads after every purchase said they enhanced the shopping experience — and 57% of those who converted said they ended up discovering a new product or service that they love.

• Seamless integration: Non-endemic commerce media is typically a turnkey channel, with platform partners handling creative, targeting and optimization. This allows merchants to unlock high-margin, scalable revenue with limited internal resources — whether they’re expanding an existing commerce media strategy or are just getting started.

Most non-endemic commerce media placements sit squarely in the lower funnel. This is a performance-driven channel, making it ideal for driving customer acquisition, app installs, subscription sign-ups or lead generation.

Success metrics are clear and measurable: click-through rates, conversions, CPA, ROAS and, for merchants, revenue per transaction.

With clean traffic and precise targeting, non-endemic commerce media offers a closed-loop environment allowing for accurate reads on ad performance. “The targeting is sharper, and the format drives action,” Hogan added. “It’s an easy channel to justify spend.”

Within commerce media, retailer and merchant data is typically used in three key ways:

• Audience targeting: First-party signals — like purchase history, browsing behavior and location — define high-value segments.

• Real-time decision-making: Data is used to select and rank offers for each shopper based on predicted relevance and intent.

• Performance measurement: Retailers can analyze which segments respond to which offers and adjust future placements based on engagement.

Merchants retain full control over how much of their first-party data they contribute. “Everything is tokenized, consent-based and privacy-compliant,” Hogan said. “Retailers decide how much data is shared, and nothing is personally identifiable.”

With that said, the more insight a merchant provides, the more effectively the platform can personalize offers and optimize performance. It’s a win across the board — for consumers, advertisers and merchants alike.

“Retailers are focused on the business of retail. So we’re actually using this data all the time, we’re just using it in ways that are closer to the core of our businesses, like nurturing customer value and removing friction from the customer journey,” said Olsen. “The idea that we can leverage the data we already have to create a new, totally incremental source of revenue is still fairly novel for most retailers.”

For retailers and merchants who partner with a platform on non-endemic commerce media, there are no costs, and revenue is shared.

The payout model is typically based on performance — such as cost per click or cost per acquisition — and the revenue share is structured to reward inventory quality and engagement.

“Retailers can earn anywhere from 20 to 40 cents per transaction,” Hogan said. “There’s minimal lift — and it’s truly incremental.”

As tariffs loom and economic uncertainty builds, these ads give retailers, merchants and publishers the ability to generate more profit from existing assets.

“As a natural extension of the customer experience, this offers a seamless way to generate incremental profit with very little investment,” Hogan said. “We have retailers asking, ‘Why did we not do this before?’ This is pure profit to their bottom line.”

Whether you’re an advertiser or a retailer, the right partner should offer ease, transparency and results. Here’s what to prioritize:

For advertisers

Look for a partner that can deliver strong targeting and performance. Key qualities include:

• High-intent inventory: Reach incremental audiences at moments that matter — like checkout, post-purchase or order tracking.
• Privacy-safe targeting: Choose a platform that enables precise targeting using first-party signals, without compromising consumer privacy.
• Actionable attribution: Prioritize transparent reporting and real-time controls to optimize spend and improve ROI.
• Audience flexibility: Opt for platforms that let you target specific merchants or scale across categories to match your strategy.
• Test-and-learn mindset: Look for partners who align with your goals and proactively optimize to maximize performance.

For retailers, merchants and publishers

The right partner should help you unlock revenue without added complexity. Look for:

• Incremental monetization: Choose a solution that adds value without disrupting your current monetization strategy.
• Easy integration: Prioritize platforms that are quick to launch, with minimal operational lift.
• Brand-safe offers: Protect brand integrity with full control over which advertiser offers appear on your site or app.
• Transparent revenue model: Get full transparency into payout structures — so you always know what to expect.
• Growth opportunities: Turn untapped touchpoints — like newsletter signups or subscription renewals — into revenue-generating moments.

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About Fluent

Whether you’re looking to drive efficient growth or unlock untapped revenue, non-endemic commerce media is a win-win for advertisers and merchants alike.

To learn how Fluent can help your business monetize high-intent moments with performance-driven solutions, reach out to our team here.